| News for government travel professionals |  |
| Government Travel Update |  |  |
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- NBTA's Maguire discusses business travel issues
 Kevin Maguire, president and CEO of the National Business Travel Association, discusses the AIG effect, members' concerns, such as consolidation among hotels, airlines and car companies, and United Airlines' move to sift credit card fees onto travel agents and consumers. Travel Weekly
(8/24) 
- 6 cities to see lower government per diem rates in fall
Fiscal 2010 per diem rates for six of the top 10 federal travel destinations will drop on Oct. 1 as hotels likewise cut their rates, according to the General Services Administration. Cities that will see lower hotel per diems for at least part of next year include Washington, D.C., Dallas, New York, Atlanta, Chicago and Boston, with maximum per diems for Manhattan, for instance, dropping $76 to $209 per night, between January and March. FederalTimes.com
(8/24)
- FLO seeks access to Registered Traveler database; lawmakers agree
Following the collapse of Clear, the nation's largest service provider for the Registered Traveler program, government and industry leaders are debating the future of members' records. Clear has one set of records it can sell to other security companies, but FLO Corp., a Clear competitor, wants the central database maintained by the American Association of Airport Executives for TSA. That effort got a boost last week when two leading lawmakers wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, urging her to preserve the database and ensure the future of the Registered Traveler program. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
(8/24)
- Passenger bill of rights gains steam in Washington
Two recent, high-profile tarmac delays have increased pressure on Capitol Hill for an airline passenger bill of rights, according to BusinessWeek. Though bankrupt Sun Country Airlines recently imposed its own four-hour limit on delays and announced its support of a federal cap of three hours, the industry as a whole continues to oppose government intervention. "We remain firm in our conviction that legislation is not needed -- and, in fact, it would likely cause a net decline in customer satisfaction," says an official with the Air Transport Association. Bloomberg Businessweek
(8/25)
- H1N1 flu could infect up to half the U.S. population, panel warns
A presidential advisory council is warning that a resurgent H1N1 flu virus could infect "30% to 50% of the U.S. population this fall and winter," while claiming up to 90,000 lives -- roughly triple the influenza death rate in normal years. The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology reported Monday that this year's flu could put a strain on the health care system, with flu patients occupying 50% to 100% of available ICU beds in some areas. Homeland Security Today
(8/25)
| Travel Industry News | | |
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- Will video technology put a permanent dent in business travel?
Improvements in videoconferencing technologies will make it harder for airlines to lure back business travelers when the recession ends, according to some experts. Analyst Michael Boyd says video "is the wave of the future. ... It will slow business travel growth as the economy comes back." But Kevin Maguire of the National Business Traveler Association says earlier experts also predicted the demise of face-to-face meetings, something that hasn't happened yet. "That doesn't mean it won't happen, but it's not an easy hurdle to overcome," he says. Chicago Tribune/McClatchy-Tribune News Service
(8/20)
- Airlines improve on-time performance as air traffic falls
Fewer fliers this summer have led to fewer delays for U.S. airlines, government data show. Delays longer than two hours have fallen by more than 25% for May through July compared with the same period in the last two years. Chicago's O'Hare airport saw the biggest improvement, with 78% of flights arriving on time, compared with 61% for the same period last year. USA TODAY
(8/23)
| International Monitor | | |
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- U.S. warns Americans about travel to Central African Republic
The State Department recommends that Americans avoid all unnecessary travel beyond the capital of the Central African Republic, Bangui. The department's travel warning says that CAR's government is not able to guarantee visitors' safety, because bandits, poachers and armed rebel groups are a constant threat. Read the State Department's travel warning for the Central African Republic. TravelPulse
(8/20)
- U.S. warns Americans to avoid traveling to Michoacan, Mexico
The State Department has issued a Travel Alert for the Mexican state of Michoacan, the home of President Felipe Calderon. More than a dozen federal agents were killed in the state last month by members of a drug cartel. U.S. officials are not advising travelers to avoid Mexico, just unnecessary travel to Michoacan as well as Chihuahua, a bordering state. Read the State Department's Travel Alert for Mexico. Houston Chronicle/The Associated Press
(8/20)
| Policy Watch | | |
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- Secure Flight rollout causes confusion among some passengers
Initial rollout of the federal government's Secure Flight program is causing confusion among some passengers, the Sacramento Bee reports. Not all airlines are currently collecting the additional information required by Secure Flight, and some of the big online booking sites are following the airlines' lead. "It is causing confusion and angst among business travelers who are core travelers who generally know the ropes and don't have angst," says one business travel expert. But the airline industry appreciates TSA's flexibility as reservation systems are upgraded to collect the new data. "This has been a work in progress," says a spokesman for the Air Transport Association. The Sacramento Bee (Calif.) (free registration)
(8/26)
| GTG News | | |
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Corporate travel professionals gather in San Diego to discuss industry advancement
The National Business Travel Association welcomed more than 5,500 corporate travel professionals to its 42nd annual International Convention & Exposition in San Diego, and registration continues to grow daily. Read more here.
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Michael McCormick to serve as new NBTA executive director
The National Business Travel Association announced Michael W. McCormick has accepted the position of NBTA executive director and COO. Read more here.
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| About GTG |
NBTA has created the Government Travel Group (GTG) to provide government travel professionals with access to the member benefits that have
long set NBTA apart as the leading association for corporate travel professionals, in addition providing unique benefits that focus on the needs of
the government travel manager.
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- Wednesday, August 12, 2009
- Wednesday, July 29, 2009
- Wednesday, July 15, 2009
- Wednesday, July 01, 2009
- Wednesday, June 17, 2009
| | | Lead Editor: Angela Giroux-Scheide
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